PALM BAY, Fla. – A significant sinkhole remains in Palm Bay Estates near Indian River Drive, but the road has reopened after being temporarily closed due to the overnight formation of the hole.
“This has caused a major inconvenience for those of us living on the other side. We were managing fine until this incident occurred,” commented Olin Hilton, a resident of Palm Bay Estates.
For many locals, the road reopening is a welcome relief, yet the primary concern remains the underlying cause of the collapse and the potential for it to recur in the future.
Residents have expressed that this incident is the latest in a series of problems over the past year, which they attribute to an old pipe that likely failed following heavy rainfall on Wednesday, resulting in the road’s collapse.
“We’ve had to replace all the pipes in this park because they were over 60 years old. However, the pipe in question appears to be the city’s responsibility,” Hilton noted.
The city responded with an email detailing a timeline of what they characterized as numerous attempts to assist Palm Bay Estates, despite clarifying that maintenance is not within their jurisdiction.
In 2024, the city secured a repair quote, but no action was taken. Last year, the city offered a preventive pipe repair option before the pipe failed, but the HOA declined.
In November, the city agreed to seek public funding to help protect nearby infrastructure while repairs were underway. But after a higher repair estimate came in, Palm Bay Estates changed course — reversing its approval and asking the city to pull its funding request.
The city said it has also discussed an HOA easement, but no agreement has been reached.
An HOA board member told News 6 on Wednesday that the pipe belongs to the city and only passes through association property before emptying into a nearby canal.
“It’s a major artery coming in here, and there’s a loop that goes around with 60 homes along this canal,” said Tom Menard, who also lives in Palm Bay Estates.
Many residents said they do not care who is responsible — they just want the problem fixed.
“It has to be fixed one way or the other,” Hilton said.
For now, the hole remains, and the HOA has not said what it plans to do next.
